Hima's Pages

Do you believe in astrology? Growing up in a Hindu household in Kerala, it was customary for most of us to have our astrology birth chart made and read out to us. Now this typically happens in our childhood, and I have always been curious about it. As a child, my inclination was to believe in it and be amazed that life was all planned out for everybody. But when I started to think rationally, I felt it was a bizarre custom and found it to be too limiting. I was baffled at how we can let somebody or some chart predict our life when we have our life out there for us to live. But now, to my surprise, in retrospect, many predictions from my horoscope have come true. Most of these have come true due to external circumstances. So, one can’t really blame it all on my unconscious for working against me due to its knowledge of these predictions.

I didn’t say any of these things about astrology to advocate for or against it. I have very limited knowledge of it to do either. The more I learn about astrology, the more I understand that it doesn’t really stand for fatalism; rather, it is like a map letting us choose our paths. In its true spirit, Vedic astrology should be looked at as a guide to making better choices and paths. I wanted to talk about the fate (determinism) versus free will debate, and astrology predictions seemed a good preface to it.

I have seen many escapists who choose to blame it all on fate, but I have also seen determined, hardworking people who refuse to give up despite many setbacks in their lives. Now, I believe, despite your fate (if there is one), your choices make you the kind of person you are. The following words of Jawaharlal Nehru seem apt to describe what I think about fate vs. free will:

“Life is like a game of cards. The hand you are dealt is determinism; the way you play it is free will.”

Do not let anything make you give up. March on!

Dear Reader, how do you see this conundrum of fate vs. free will?